PHNO-OPINION: NOT A PRETTY SIGHT

OPINION: NOT A PRETTY SIGHT

MANILA, MAY 8, 2012
(MALAYA) Written by NESTOR MATA - ('Watching Noynoy
Aquino demonizing Chief Justice Renato Corona from Day One of his presidency is
not a pretty sight.' )
PRESIDENT Noynoy Aquino has been relentlessly demonizing Chief Justice Renato
Corona, from the start of his trial last January up to just before the Lenten
recess, and shortly before the resumption of the proceedings by the Senate
impeachment court.
Many Noynoy watchers are driven away by his supercilious manner in treating
Corona, who heads the judiciary, a co-equal branch of government, seeing his
arrogant and disdainful postures, raising his eyebrow at those whom he considers
beneath him, as so highly unpresidential-like.
Just last Sunday, just one day before Corona's trial was resumed, Aquino,
talking like a combined prosecutor-senator-juror-and judge, demanded that Corona
explain what his Ombudsman-appointee alleged to be the jurist's $10-million bank
deposits, otherwise, "….his unexplained wealth is presumed to be ill-gotten
wealth."
Aquino earlier had also demanded that Corona publicly bare his Statement of
Assets, Liabilities, and Networth (SALN), something that he (Aquino) himself had
refused to do, and, for the nth time, he accused his predecessor former
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of having "eroded the foundations of
government" in a speech --- of all places – during the 45th annual meeting of
the board of directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the Philippine
International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Actually, Noynoy has never bothered to hide his disdain for both Arroyo and
Corona even when he was campaigning for the presidency, when he took his oath of
office not before Corona as chief justice but before a junior associate justice,
because he (Corona) was an appointee of Arroyo, and when he succeeded in his
insidious plot to impeach the top jurist he went on to smear him through his
corps of black propagandists and compliant political allies in Congress even
during the Senate impeachment proceedings.
Surely, you all remember that time during the trial when Noynoy and his
congressmen-prosecutors went to town claiming Corona owned 45 pieces of
properties in the metropolis. These were later found to be completely faked by
Noynoy's classmate who heads the Land Registration Authority.
You also remember that time when they used an internet blogger's insinuation
that the Coronas had two posh addresses in Florida in their propaganda blitz to
smear him and his family, and this was proven false, too.
Now, just before the resumption of Corona's trial, this time for Corona's
defense lawyers to present his side to prove that the articles of impeachment
are baseless, Noynoy's Ombudsman, Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, ordered
Corona to explain his alleged $10 million deposits (roughly P430 million) in
several banks. She did this despite the fact that her office has no jurisdiction
over the chief justice, who, like her, is a constitutional official.
That's certainly not different from what Noynoy's congressmen-prosecutors did
when they waved before television cameras a faked list of 45 properties they
claimed belonged to the CJ, who turned out to be the owner of only five
properties.
Not surprisingly, the Ombudsman's order served as an opening for Noynoy and
his prosecutors to renew their assaults against Corona, especially in the wake
of the Supreme Court's decision against the Cojuangco-Aquino clan that has been
fighting for decades to retain ownership of Hacienda Luisita.
Then, soon after this, Noynoy insisted that Corona bare his latest SALN,
which, as one commenter bluntly noted, "was really a stupid call, since this
SALN for the year 2012 was not included in the Articles of Impeachment."
Not only this, with the resumption of the trial, they want Corona to take the
witness stand, evidently to give them, the congressmen-prosecutors as well as
the senator-jurors, known to be Aquino's political allies, the opportunity to
raise other harassing issues against the top jurist.
And, oh yes, Noynoy and his mouthpieces even praised two "Palace justices" –
Carpio and Sereno – for disclosing their SALNs voluntarily, but they
conveniently ignored the fact that what the two associate justices gave were
merely summaries of their SALNs, just so they can make Corona look "like he is
hiding something."
"The demonization of the CJ has recurred and with a vengeance," as one
perceptive political watcher put it. "… Noynoy's using not just his allies in
the House of Representatives, but also the Ombudsman… to satisfy his vendetta!"

Indeed, ever since Noynoy Aquino stumbled into power two years ago, it
appears that all that matters to him is to see the conviction of Corona with
warp speed, that is to say with the highest possible speed, if not by the Senate
impeachment court, then by black propaganda before the bar of public opinion!

***
Quote of the Day: "The President hears a hundred voices telling him that
he is the greatest man in the world. He must listen carefully indeed to hear the
one voice that tells him he is not!" – Harry S. Truman
Thought of the Day: "The lust for power, for dominating others, inflames
the heart more than any other passion." – Tacitus


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




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